NEW DELHI: After setting a competitive 163-run target, Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to 140 for eight to help Hyderabad register a 22-run victory in the Eliminator of the Indian Premier League season nine at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi on Wednesday. SRH will now play Gujarat Lions in Qualifier 2 on Friday for a place in the summit clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/19) led the disciplined SRH pacers with Moises Henriques (2/17), Ben Cutting (1/14) and Barinder Sran (1/29) also finishing among wickets. KKR's run chase was hampered by wickets at regular intervals as they failed to come up with any substantial partnership in their innings. Manish Pandey top scored with 36, and the 46-run stand for the fifth wicket between Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav was their highest.

In chase of the par score at the ground, KKR were dented by the early wicket of Robin Uthappa (11) in the second over, but Gambhir and Colin Munro steadied the run chase as they took KKR over 50-run mark in the 7th over, but in the next ball Yuvraj showed glimpses of his fielding prowess by hitting the stumps and breaking the partnership. KKR batsmen tried to steady the innings again, but lost two more wickets in two overs (10th & 11th) to reach 69 for four in 10.5 overs, after being 53 for one in 6.5.

Pandey and Suryakumar revived the chase and took KKR over the 100-run mark in the 14th over. It took Shikhar Dhawan's brilliant catch at deep square leg to break the stand in the 16th, bowled by Henriques, as Suryakumar fell after scoring a 15-ball 23-run cameo with a six and a four. Pandey-Yadav added crucial 46 runs in 30 balls to take KKR 115 for five in 15.5 overs. But the wicket of Pandey in the 18th, caught by Deepak Hooda off Bhuvneshwar, made the situation tougher for KKR as they were left to score 38 off the last 16 balls. Pandey hit a six and two fours in his 28-ball innings but failed to steer KKR home. Bhuvneshwar bowled a brilliant final over as he took two wickets and conceded just two runs to help SRH to a comfortable win.

Earlier, Yuvraj Singh had scored a handy 44 to help Hyderabad post 162/8, after sent in to bat by KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir. SRH lost wickets at regular intervals in the second half but managed to score 91 in them, riding mainly on Yuvraj and Deepak Hooda's 49-run stand for the fourth wicket in 36 balls. Yuvraj smashed a six and eight fours in his 30-ball knock, while Hooda smacked two sixes in his 13-ball 21 cameo.

KKR bowlers kept the SRH run-flow in check early in the innings. Yusuf Pathan, who opened the attack, was hit for just one six in his first three overs, during the Powerplays, and conceded 17 runs, while Morkel clean bowled Dhawan in his first over.

Source:-TOI

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